Achievement First Aspire Charter School

Achievement First Aspire posts 54.8% ELA proficiency and 49.7% math proficiency — both edging above District 19 averages of 48.9% and 48.2%. The overall score of 2.09/4 also beats the district average of 1.94. But the grade-by-grade picture is uneven: third graders hit 69.6% ELA and 79.3% math, fourth graders reach 75% ELA and 79.5% math, then fifth grade math collapses to 19.4% and ELA drops to 39.7%. There's a clear cliff between the strong elementary years and a more turbulent middle school stretch.

The family survey response rate was effectively zero — only two families responded — so there's almost no parent voice data to draw on for trust, satisfaction, or instruction quality. Attendance is 90.7%, just slightly above the district average of 89.9%. Chronic absenteeism at 65% is a serious concern, meaning nearly two-thirds of students miss enough school days to qualify. Black students have a slightly higher chronic absenteeism rate (67.6%) than Hispanic students (51.8%). The lack of survey input makes the day-to-day culture hard to read from the data alone.

The student body is 73% Black and 22% Hispanic, closely matching the surrounding East New York-New Lots neighborhood. Three percent identify as Asian and two percent as Native American. Twelve percent of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 79 points to a high-needs population. The diversity index of 44% is moderate and reflects the demographic concentration of the immediate neighborhood rather than broad citywide representation.

East New York-New Lots has a median household income of $58,087 and a 22.6% poverty rate, with only 16% of adults holding a bachelor's degree. Just 29.3% of households own their homes, though the median home value sits around $605,545. Only 10.6% of households include children, suggesting many families in the area are adult-only or have children who have grown. It's a working-class, predominantly renter neighborhood with deep community roots.

Families can reach the school via the 3 train at New Lots Avenue (about a 9-minute walk), the C at Shepherd Avenue (about 13 minutes), or the A and C at Euclid Avenue (about 14 minutes). Most commute by public transit.